{"id":8863,"date":"2023-03-31T12:51:37","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T12:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/"},"modified":"2023-03-31T12:51:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T12:51:37","slug":"how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write a content marketing mission statement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve heard of a business mission statement \u2013 but have you also heard of a content marketing mission statement?<\/p>\n<p>This is an important piece of text that should head up your content strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Outlining your content marketing mission statement will give your content efforts a greater purpose. It will drive you toward a specific direction that aligns with your goals and the impact you want to create.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, it\u2019s really important to know how to create this special mission statement. Crafting it should be one of the first things you do when you <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/create-content-strategy-framework-393819\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">build a content strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive into all the details.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#What_is_a_content_marketing_mission_statement\" >What is a content marketing mission statement?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#Why_should_you_create_a_content_marketing_mission_statement\" >Why should you create a content marketing mission statement?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#How_to_write_a_content_marketing_mission_statement_in_3_steps\" >How to write a content marketing mission statement in 3 steps<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#1_Know_your_target_audience\" >1. Know your target audience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#2_Find_your_topic_areas_and_content_formats_of_focus\" >2. Find your topic areas and content formats of focus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#3_Explain_how_you_help_your_audience_using_content\" >3. Explain how you help your audience using content<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/how-to-write-a-content-marketing-mission-statement\/#Write_your_content_marketing_mission_statement_with_confidence\" >Write your content marketing mission statement with confidence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_content_marketing_mission_statement\"><\/span>What is a content marketing mission statement?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A content marketing mission statement is a short statement that describes the overarching <strong>purpose<\/strong> of your content marketing efforts and activities.<\/p>\n<p>This statement answers the question: What do you want your content marketing to achieve overall for your business and your audience?<\/p>\n<p>What kind of content (format + topics) will you become known for?<\/p>\n<p>Why will you be creating this content?<\/p>\n<p>How will it benefit your audience?<\/p>\n<p>A content marketing mission statement can act as the banner or guiding light your team follows to ensure every action you take in the name of your content stays true to your brand values and your audience.<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019re confused about the difference between your business mission statement and your content marketing mission statement, think of it this way:<\/p>\n<p>Your business mission statement explains the reason why your brand exists. Your content marketing mission statement explains why you\u2019re doing content marketing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_should_you_create_a_content_marketing_mission_statement\"><\/span>Why should you create a content marketing mission statement?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Creating a content marketing mission statement is key to building a content strategy. And without a content strategy, your content efforts are much more likely to fall flat.<\/p>\n<p>Up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/content-marketing-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">78%<\/a> of marketers who reported their marketing was very successful <em>also<\/em> reported having a documented content strategy, according to a Semrush survey.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cDocumented\u201d just means \u201cwritten down somewhere.\u201d That distinction is important. You can talk about strategy all day, but recording it makes it real and present.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/documenting-your-content-strategy-393845\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">document<\/a> in hand, you have something substantial to reference and follow, an agreed-upon set of guidelines versus the <strong>idea<\/strong><em> <\/em>of that strategy floating around without form or function.<\/p>\n<p>To sum up, your content marketing mission statement sets the purpose of your content marketing overall. (Without that purpose, your strategy will be aimless.) It can guide:<\/p>\n<p>The types of content you create.<\/p>\n<p>The kinds of stories you tell.<\/p>\n<p>Your goals for content marketing.<\/p>\n<p>And once you write that mission statement down, it becomes a solid, shared, agreed-upon guideline your whole team can follow and unite around.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_write_a_content_marketing_mission_statement_in_3_steps\"><\/span>How to write a content marketing mission statement in 3 steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are three major components to writing a content marketing mission statement: target audience, topic area and benefits.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Know_your_target_audience\"><\/span>1. Know your target audience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-guide-audience-research-content-analysis-385055\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Who are you creating content for<\/a>? You must know this before crafting your content marketing mission statement.<\/p>\n<p>In a nutshell, these are the people who will get the most value and benefit from your content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re not necessarily people who know your product or service exists or have a pressing need. Instead, your content <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-guide-audience-research-content-analysis-385055\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">audience<\/a> includes people with <strong>information needs you can meet<\/strong>. They\u2019re the people your brand can help with expert knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>For some of these people, enough nurturing and positive experiences with your content might eventually lead to them becoming your customers. That\u2019s what content marketing does \u2013 but it\u2019s not the point of your content marketing mission statement.<\/p>\n<p>So, when you <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/content-marketing-personas-394132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">think about your audience<\/a>, keep it focused on who needs your content and who\u2019s missing the unique expertise of your brand.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Find_your_topic_areas_and_content_formats_of_focus\"><\/span>2. Find your topic areas and content formats of focus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Next, determine what information you\u2019ll share in your content. <\/p>\n<p>The intersection of the brand expertise (your unique mix of knowledge + experience) and what your audience wants is the sweet spot to find:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brand expertise<\/strong>: What do you sell? Why are you qualified to sell it? What knowledge\/experience do you have about what you sell that sets you apart? What topics are tied to what you sell? Which of these topics are you most passionate about as a brand and align with your values?<\/p>\n<p><strong>What your audience wants<\/strong>: What does your audience want to know within your topic area(s)? What problems and questions are they concerned with? What do they need to learn to meet their goals? What knowledge gaps do they have?<\/p>\n<p>After you narrow down your topic areas, you should also outline the main content formats you\u2019ll focus on. This shows how you\u2019ll deliver the information your audience wants.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/how-to-write-a-blog-post-391760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blog posts<\/a> are a given, but what form will those take? Tips and advice? Helpful guides? Step-by-step tutorials? Ideas and inspiration? Stories?<\/p>\n<p>Consider other formats, too, beyond blogs. <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/video-content-guide-examples-393269\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Videos<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/podcasts-a-content-guide-for-beginners-392881\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Podcasts<\/a>. Original research. Interviews with experts. <\/p>\n<p>For example, my brand delivers value through content through weekly blog posts, bi-weekly podcast episodes, and bi-weekly videos.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Explain_how_you_help_your_audience_using_content\"><\/span>3. Explain how you help your audience using content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s time to combine items 1 and 2 to craft your content marketing mission statement.<\/p>\n<p>How do you help your unique audience with your unique content? What benefits will your potential reader get from the information you\u2019ll provide?<\/p>\n<p>Explain the biggest benefit(s) as simply as possible. Consider what will make your content different from what\u2019s already out there and how you\u2019ll deliver value differently.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a formula for how to state your content marketing mission:<\/p>\n<p><em>We help [audience] by providing [type of content] to help them [goal they want to achieve\/benefit].<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For example, \u201cWe help small business entrepreneurs by providing insightful financial tips and advice to help them manage their businesses better and reach their career dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p>Need some real-life examples of how other brands have crafted their content mission statements? Here are seven of them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Canva<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Achieve your design goals with Canva&#8217;s in-depth articles and resources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Kitchn<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Inspiring cooks and nourishing homes through daily recipes, tips, kitchen design, and shopping guides.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>OpenForum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Insights, inspiration, and connections to grow your business.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Harvard Business Review<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Find new ideas and classic advice on strategy, innovation and leadership, for global leaders from the world&#8217;s best business and management experts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>WordStream<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;WordStream is your go-to resource for digital marketing tips and strategies to help you learn, grow, and succeed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>NerdWallet<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Millions of people turn to the Nerds to find the best credit cards, up their credit score, land the perfect mortgage and so much more.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Apartment Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lifestyle and interior design community sharing design lessons, DIY how-tos, shopping guides and expert advice for creating a happy, beautiful home.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Write_your_content_marketing_mission_statement_with_confidence\"><\/span>Write your content marketing mission statement with confidence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your content marketing mission statement is a guiding sentence that gives your content efforts a deeper purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re not just creating content to increase leads or get more traffic \u2013 you&#8217;re creating content to help a specific type of person reach a specific goal with your brand&#8217;s unique mix of knowledge and expertise.<\/p>\n<p>And, when you write down your content mission and share it with your team, that&#8217;s a uniting factor that will give everything you do more purpose.<\/p>\n<p>Rally around your content mission, rely on it as you build your content strategy, and return to it as you create content and execute your plan. In turn, it will help guide you toward the results you want.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/content-marketing-mission-statement-395089\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to write a content marketing mission statement<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve heard of a business mission statement \u2013 but have you also heard of a content marketing mission statement? This is an important piece of text that should head up your content strategy. Outlining your content marketing mission statement will give your content efforts a greater purpose. It will drive you toward a specific direction that aligns with your goals and the impact you want to create. Needless to say, it\u2019s really important to know how to create this special mission statement. Crafting it should be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8863\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}